Cotton-press



(Model.)

W. H. MRADOR SzY R. CARL.

OOTTON PRESS.

Patented May 17, 1887.

1 .w e 0 Mlm 'infill'. A

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.,

`WILLIAM H.y MEADOR AND RIUS CARL, OF GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,159, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed September 4, ll. Serial No. 212,741. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. MEADOR and RIUS CARL, of Grenada, in the county of Grenada and State of Mississippi, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Presses, of which the following is a specieation.

Our invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in cotton-presses, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,l Figure lis a perspective view ofjmy improved cotton-press, one of the hinged sides being shown hanging downward, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section of the same.

The saine letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all the figures.

. A represents the rectangular main frame of the press formed of four vertical posts connected by horizontal bars. The compressionbox B is formed on top of the main frame, and consists of two sides, C, having cross-pieces c on their lower ends, the trunnionsc of which rest in b'earing-notches c2 in the upper ends of the four vertical posts of the main frame. Staples or loops ca embrace the trunnions and hold them in their bearings, as clearly shown. The upper ends of the sides C are provided with cross-pieces, which project beyond said sides, and are notched at C', for a purpose to be presently described.

D are the removable ends of the said chamber, and fit within the ends of the sides, so that when the hooked bars D2 are in place they will engage the cross-bars and notches C and prevent the sides and ends from falling or being forced outward.` The top is formed of two lougitudinal bars, D D', hinged at their opposite ends by means of the vertical eyebolts c to the main frame. The bars D D are each provided with Vshort pieces e', which close the top of the compression-chamber when in the position shown in the drawings, and the bars are locked together by the hook D. g

F indicates the longitudinal horizontal bedpiece, on which are mounted the iron sills or tracks G G, as shown. At each end of the bed-picce is secured a bearing, G G', in which turn the ends o f the screwshaft II, which is formed for one-half oi'its length with a right hand screw-thread, and for the other half of its length with a left-hand thread, and lupon one end of the screw-shaft is secureda pulley, I, for the application of power to turn the screw, which may be applied in any desired manner..

K K indicate the 'compression-levers, the upper ends of which are hinged or pivoted to the lower part of the follower J, which slides between the vertical guides J and the lower rounded ends of the levers K, which slide on the metal tracks G G, are shod or covered with the Inet-al bands L L, which come in direct contact with and slide on the track, which is greased, and thus reduce friction to the minimum, while dispensing with -the use of rollers, which have been heretofore employed in presses of this description, and which will slip along the track, instead of revolving thereon, our invention being thus far more simple, cheap, and durable than those in which the rollers are employed. In these lower rounded ends of the levers K are journaled the trunnions M2 MZ of the metal blocks M M, which are formed, respectively, with the right and left handed screw-threaded apertures M M', in which work the left and right handed threaded portions or sections of the screwshaft I-I, the said blocks being preferably made of cast-iron and the screw-shaft of wrought- Iron.

It will be seen that as the screw-shaft is revolved it will draw together or apart (the shaft being rotated in either direction by crossing the belt which conveys motion from the source of power to the pulley of the screw when it is desired to run the follower down) the blocks M M, thus bringing together or sepaa rating, as desired, the lower ends of the levers K, in which the trunnions of the blocks M turn freely, thereby raising or lowering the upper ends of the levers and the follower J.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, when the follower is lowered to its lowermost point there is a space or opening, It, at each end of the pressbox below the lower ends of the removable end pieces of the said box, and which cannot be permanently closed, as the upper portions of the levers rise in these spaces as the follower is elevated. To overcome this difiiculty, we close these spaces with the automatic hinged side doors, O O, which are conframe of the press by the straps P, while the doors are supported in their closed operative positions by the cross-pieces O', the ends of which engage with the hooks Q, Q, as shown,

' the lower ends of these doors, with which the levers come in contact, bei ng curved or rounded on their inner edges at O2 to reduce friction. It will now be seen that as the levers are elevated at their inner ends to raise the follower in compressing the bale in the closed box B the doors O will be automatically raised by the upward pressure of the levers until at the moment when the follower is about on a level with the bottom of the box proper the ends of thecrosspieces O of the doors O will be raised clear of the hooks Q, when the doors will slide down on the outer sides of the le Vers, being prevented from falling too far by the straps P, thus leaving the spaces'R clear for the passage of the upper portions of the levers, as will be readily understood.

The blocks M may have downwardly-projecting guide-lugs M4, cast on their lower side, which run in the longitudinal guide-groove F of the bed-piece F between the tracks G G.

lFrom the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of our improved cotton-press will be readily understood. It will be seen that it is simple, cheap, and durable in construction, and very rapid and efficient in its operation. By its use a bale of cotton can be .packed or compressed inside of seventy-five seconds.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the rectangular main frame and the follower working therein, of the vertically-swinging sides hinged at their lower ends to the top of the main frame, the

pression-box on the top of the frame, of the` swinging side doors movably connected at their upper ends to the frame atopposite ends of the follower and closing the open ends of the frame, the said side doors rest-ing at their lower ends on the u pper surfaces of the levers, substantially as and for vthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the main frame, of the box composed of the hinged sides, the removable end pieces, and the hinged top com` posed of the two sections connected by the retaining-hook, thcfollower, the compressionlevers, and means, substantially jas described, for operating the same, and the automatic side doors having the retainingstraps, vthe rounded lower inner edges, and the crosspieces engaging with their ends with the supporting-hooks, as described, all constructed and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

WILLIAM H. M'EADOR. I RIUS CARL. VVilnesscs:

I. D. NowELL, S. H. GARNIER. 

